-icus

See also ICUs

Latin

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *-ikos, *-iḱos, formed with the i-stem suffix *-i- and the adjectival suffix *-ko-. Cognates include Ancient Greek -ικός (-ikos), Sanskrit श (-śas), क (-kas) and Old Church Slavonic -ъкъ (ŭkŭ).

PIE *-ko- on noun stems carried the meaning 'characteristic of, like, typical, pertaining to', and on adjectival stems it acted emphatically.

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA: /ˈ-i.kus/

Suffix

-icus m (feminine -ica, neuter -icum); first/second declension

1. Belonging to.
2. Derived from.
3. Of or pertaining to; connected with; -ish.

Usage notes

The suffix -icus is added to a noun, adjective, verb, etc., to form an adjective.

Examples:

ūnicus (“single, unique”), from ūnus (“one”)

amīcus (“loving, friendly”), from amō (“I love”)

gallicus (“Gallic, Gaulish”), from Gallia (“Gaul”)

metallicus (“metallic”), from metallum (“metal”)

Inflection

Number	Singular				Plural
Case \ Gender	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
nominative	-icus	-ica	-icum		-icī	-icae	-ica
genitive	-icī	-icae	-icī		-icōrum	-icārum	-icōrum
dative	-icō	-icae	-icō		-icīs	-icīs	-icīs
accusative	-icum	-icam	-icum		-icōs	-icās	-ica
ablative	-icō	-icā	-icō		-icīs	-icīs	-icīs
vocative	-ice	-ica	-icum		-icī	-icae	-ica

Synonyms

• -ānus, -ēnsis

Descendants

Catalan: -ic English: -ic French: -ique Galician: -ico

Italian: -ico Portuguese: -ico Romanian: -ec, -ic Spanish: -ico